Engaging, real-world characters not in the real world; savvy and outright charming.
In Martin’s YA sci-fi debut, the start of a proposed trilogy reminiscent of The Matrix, a teen girl learns that her world is a simulated reality, an organization having rendered all of humankind in a comatose state.
It’s only Emery Parker’s second day at renowned boarding school Darden Preparatory, and the administration’s already sent for her. She meets Theo Barker, head of the Federal Commonwealth, who immediately drops this bombshell: the world Emery knows isn’t real. According to Theo, a group called the Seventh Sanctum, after toppling governments across the globe, combatted corruption by inducing a “worldwide coma.” Emery has trouble believing she and everyone else currently reside in simulated world Dormance. But it’s a tad suspicious that, by the mid-21st century, there’s been no technological advancement in 28 years. So she agrees to join The Alpha Drive, an initiative to overthrow 7S. Meanwhile, 7S’s Cpl. Torin Porter hasn’t made much progress hacking into FCW’s mainframe. Tampering with Emery’s newly embedded microchip may give him a way in, but rather than tell his superiors, Torin makes contact with Emery by himself. As the girl undergoes rigorous training in preparation for entering the uncertain 7S world, she must decide if she trusts Theo and the FCW, because soon, she and other Alpha Drive participants will be fighting to break people free of Dormance. The author retains a steady uneasiness throughout her tale. Emery isn’t sure if she’s working for the good guys or bad and is perpetually worried about the microchip in her neck; if someone spots it, wiped memories will ensue. But even Emery’s typical school life is filled with turmoil: she’s weary of her boyfriend and is involved in a teenage love triangle. Martin slyly leaves open seemingly endless possible scenarios, from one of Emery’s peers having a microchip to enemies operating covertly in her midst. The action-laden ending is a little rushed but does include marvelous connections to the protagonist’s sporadic visions in training sessions. Though Martin ably concludes this first installment, questions linger, like why Emery is evidently so important to FCW.
Engaging, real-world characters not in the real world; savvy and outright charming.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9968605-1-2
Page Count: 322
Publisher: Black Falcon Press
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thrilling romance that could use more even pacing.
For the second time in her life, Leo must choose between her family and true love.
Nineteen-year-old Princess Leonie Kolburg’s royal family is bankrupt. In order to salvage the fortune they accrued before humans fled the frozen Earth 170 years ago, Leonie’s father is forcing her to participate in the Valg Season, an elaborate set of matchmaking events held to facilitate the marriages of rich and royal teens. Leo grudgingly joins in even though she has other ideas: She’s invented a water filtration system that, if patented, could provide a steady income—that is if Leo’s calculating Aunt Freja, the Captain of the ship hosting the festivities, stops blocking her at every turn. Just as Leo is about to give up hope, her long-lost love, Elliot, suddenly appears onboard three years after Leo’s family forced her to break off their engagement. Donne (Brightly Burning, 2018) returns to space, this time examining the fascinatingly twisted world of the rich and famous. Leo and her peers are nuanced, deeply felt, and diverse in terms of sexuality but not race, which may be a function of the realities of wealth and power. The plot is fast paced although somewhat uneven: Most of the action resolves in the last quarter of the book, which makes the resolutions to drawn-out conflicts feel rushed.
A thrilling romance that could use more even pacing. (Science fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-328-94894-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
A very full mixed bag.
In the sequel to Furyborn (2018), Rielle and Eliana struggle across time with their powers and prophesied destinies.
Giving readers only brief recaps, this book throws them right into complicated storylines in this large, lovingly detailed fantasy world filled with multiple countries, two different time periods, and hostile angels. Newly ordained Rielle contends with villainous Corien’s interest in her, the weakening gate that holds the angels at bay, and distrust from those who don’t believe her to be the Sun Queen. A thousand years in the future, Eliana chafes under her unwanted destiny and finds her fear of losing herself to her powers (like the Blood Queen) warring with her need to save those close to her. The rigid alternation between time-separated storylines initially feels overstuffed, undermining tension, but once more characters get point-of-view chapters and parallels start paying off, the pace picks up. The multiethnic cast (human versus angelic is the only divide with weight) includes characters of many sexual orientations, and their romantic storylines include love triangles, casual dalliances, steady couples, and couples willing to invite in a third. While many of the physically intimate scenes are loving, some are rougher, including ones that cross lines of clear consent and introduce a level of violence that many young readers will not be ready for. The ending brings heartbreaking twists to prime readers for the trilogy’s conclusion.
A very full mixed bag. (map, list of elements) (Fantasy. 17-adult)Pub Date: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-5665-4
Page Count: 608
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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